Tease
Lirum woke up wrapped in warmth. The bed though firmer then they remembered when they fell asleep was still quite accommodating. As well their pillow seemed to be gone but the nostalgic smell of reading books by the fire that replaced it was pleasant enough to ignore it. The thin blankets they’d been using the night before were much better than they thought, though it felt like it must have bunched up at their hips. Until they felt the gentle stroking down their back, and realised the weight around their hips was an arm.
They became painfully aware of the way their clothes had shifted in their sleep exposing a good bit of their midriff, of which Percy had little hesitation caress softly. They weren’t sure what he was tracing on their back but it felt divine. His fingers only became timid again when they neared the hem of Lirum’s nightshirt. When he grazed it gently and ran his fingers down the sensitive exposed skin of their waste as he came back down, they could help the noise that slipped out as they buried their face into the crook of his neck or the way their hand slipped into his hair.
He froze, stiff as a board beneath them. Hands frozen in place mortified, knowing he’d been caught.
“Percy,” They sighed, looking up at his startled face. There was a click of the door and suddenly the weight that was holding them down was gone and he was holding both hands in the air.
“Percy Ignatius Weasley!” Mrs. Weasley shouted. Quickly they realised, they couldn’t imagine what the scene must look like to her. Percy, her most respectful and responsible son, who’d been seen with his arms wrapped around them. “With your little brother in the room!”
“It’s not what it looks like mum!” He begged, squirming beneath them, redder than Lirum had ever seen him.
“And now you’re trying to lie to me? You think I can’t hear? I’ve seen it with my own eyes mister! is this what’s been distracting you from taking care of your family when your away at school!” She bellowed. “You’re sister told me last year you were off, sneaking about in empty classrooms with a ravenclaw girl.”
“T-that’s not- it’s not what it sounds like either!” He pleaded looking between his mother and Lirum for help. “I swear, their were pillows when we went to bed. I would never! It’s an innocent accident!” Lirum realised then they were still laying on top of him and shot up to a sitting position.
“Oh what do we have here now,” Fred started from the door. “I know mum said you’d be sleeping with Percy but I don’t think that’s what she meant.” Suddenly Lirum’s whole body was on fire when they realised Percy’s whole family was walking in to see Lirum sitting on his lap.
“Oh Merlin! I’m sorry,” they said, trying to get up. In that moment their leg got caught in the blankets and they hit the floor with a loud thud earning a grunt from Percy, and laughter from the boys. “I’m not helping, I’ll just stop this can’t be worse, staying here, got it.” They mumbled to themself after their not so graceful escape.
“What happened?” Ron asked, confused, still sitting half asleep on his bed.
“Nothing happened! There was a wall between us when I fell asleep!” Lirum groaned from the floor.
“Oh so, Pervy Percy it was then?” George teased, kneeling beside them and pulling their shirt down as should’ve been.
“You’re never going to let me live this down, are you?” Lirum asked.
“Never!” He grinned ear to ear.
“You could have stayed with us.” Fred teased staring don’t at them.
“Oh and how would it have been in the morning when your mum found all three of us in one bed?”
“Wicked!” They said together.
“No!” Mrs. Weasley shrieked. “Everyone grab your things we’re leaving!”
Mrs. Weasleys ushered the twins out but stayed to keep a watchful eye on Percy and Lirum. Who in turn awkwardly shuffled about grabbing their clothes for the train. Lirum left and went to one of the bar's restrooms to change, leaving Percy and Ron to get ready alone. On their way back they saw a very disgruntled Ron marching down the hall, but chose to ignore it. When they made it back to number twelve they saw Percy slamming his trunk shut on his bed.
“I’m sorry about this morning.” Lirum started leaning against the doorway.
“Why are you apologising? I was the one who did something wrong.” Percy grumbled picking up his trunk.
“Did you pick me up and put me on top of you?” Lirum asked sarcastically, turning Percy's fire engine red.
“You were asleep, I-I would never!” He pleaded.
“Did you lift my shirt up so you could have better access to my skin?” They asked confidently.
“L-Lirum, I-No-I” he dropped his trunk.
“Then you didn’t do anything wrong. I did those things, given I was asleep so it was clearly an accident but I still did it.” Lirum explained, hoping to calm whatever fear they’d started by accident. “So, I’m sorry I got you in trouble this morning.”
“No, I shouldn’t have touched you! I woke up! I should’ve woken you up! I didn’t, I let my hands wonder, while you were asleep! like a pervert!” He argued angrily. “I took advantage of you in a situation where you trusted me.”
“Percy calm down, you didn’t touch me anywhere you shouldn't have.” Lirum teased, trying to reach for him, but he stopped them.
“I thought about it!” He snapped, holding their wrist preventing them from comforting him.
“But you didn’t Percy! You’re seventeen, barely seventeen I’ll add. It’s normal to think about wanting to touch some. I’m not upset with you, it’s ok.” Lirum insisted, the closer they got the more their flush grew. “I actually kind of enjoyed it.”
“No, that can’t happen and it’s not ok, not the way I thought about it!” He snapped again letting go of their wrists and taking hold of their shoulders to look them in the eyes “Lirum, I care about you, but you’re a child who doesn’t understand why this is wrong. I’m an adult now, you are a child, even worse still you were asleep.”
“I’m fifteen! You’re barely a year and a half older! Don’t treat me like I’m a child!” Lirum argued stubbornly. “I’m old enough to think for myself and know what I want!”
“There’s a big difference when it comes to things like this Lirum.” He said sincerely.
“Penelope’s only sixteen. I’ll be sixteen in December. How is it different?” Lirum argued, becoming angry. “You dated her! You snuck off into classrooms and snogged her apparently! I would argue I’m far more mature than she is!”
“Because she’s turning seventeen you're turning sixteen-“ “And why does it matter! We’ve been friends for years and you always-“ “If you can’t understand that I’ve said no then you’re not mature enough to-” “Percy!”
Lirum was on the verge of tears when he pulled them into a tight hug. They both stood there in silence for a moment. When he’d rejected them before he was so casual it didn’t feel real, but this stung. He clearly wanted them back, why couldn’t he just admit it. They were always happy together. They could make him happy; they knew they’d be happy if he'd just try.
“I need you to listen to me. I care about you, so much. I refuse to be someone who’s going to take advantage of you. You’re a dear friend, my intentions with you stop there. I should have been more firm with you earlier.” He said softly, rubbing comforting circles on their back. Lirum was trying their hardest not to cry, when he leaned in and whispered. “It’s ok. You can hate me for that if you need to.”
“Ahem” Mrs. Wesley’s voice rang out from the door angrily. To her the scene probably looked like one last lovers confession before leaving. Little did she know the painful truth of reality. “Percy you’ll be riding with your father, and you will be riding with me.”
“I think that would be for the best.” Percy said letting Lirum go and grabbing his trunk.
“I’ll just grab mine then,” Lirum mumbled to themself while Molly stood waiting in the doorway.
When they finally made it downstairs they saw Grayson, along with Hermes and Hedwig. Percy and Harry’s owls respectively. As they approached the table where everyone sat waiting for the ministry cars to arrive they heard Fred and George congratulating Ron on whatever he’d done to make Percy so frustrated. Of course, they’d never guess it was Lirum.
When the cars arrived Mrs. Weasley ushered Fred in first followed by Lirum and George then finally Ginny.
“You alright there Love? You look a bit pale.” His teasing smile faded and face turned serious. Something they rarely overlooked from either twin. “He didn’t- You weren’t shaken this morning were you?”
“What?” Lirum asked, confused by his sudden change of mood. He looked around all the windows for his mother.
“This morning you just seemed embarrassed, I didn’t read it wrong did I? Are you alright did he-“ the door swung open and Mrs. Weasley entered the car.
“Off the King’s Cross then!” She said sitting in the front.
“It’s nothing Georgie, we just got into a disagreement. I’ll be fine.”Lirum insisted, giving George a small smile.
“Disagreements aren’t very romantic.” Ginny huffed, throwing her head back against the seat.
“Nothing’s romantic with Percy.” Fred mocked.
“It is with them, it was love at first sight! He already broke up with his girlfriend for them! They’re supposed to get together now!” Ginny argued.
“No one is getting together, they're not in love, you're all children!” Mrs Weasley snapped from the front seat.
“Fred was right though,” Lirum said sourly, sitting arms crossed squeezed in between the boys.
“Oh am I now, I thought you would’ve argued after the…special time, we walked in on this morning.” Fred joked, stretching out the word special.
“Fred!” George snapped, turning toward and pinching his brother, hitting his knees against Lirum’s. “Sorry Love.”
“You saw what I saw!” Fred argued, slapping his brothers hand away,
“They’re clearly not in the mood.” George said pinching him a second time for good measure.
“It’s alright Georgie,” they said, putting their hand on his to stop him from attacking his brother. The twins shared a look then stared back at Lirum.
“What happened? What’s wrong with you?” Fred asked, brows furrowed.
“It’s nothing-“
“It’s not nothing. You’re being snarky or sarcastic, which means something is wrong.”
“Nothing’s wrong Fred,” Lirum instead, trying to ignore the twins looming over them from either side, or the conversation the twins seemed to be having silently.
“Somethings absolutely wrong, you’ve not rolled your eyes at me once since we got in this car, you always roll your eyes at me.” Fred spoke, far too serious for the conversation at hand.
“I’m not telling you anything, you’ll only bully me worse if I do.” Lirum snapped, turning to face Fred.
“So it’s definitely something to do with Percy.” George answered from behind them.
“Shut up!” Lirum said, slapping his leg.
“Nailed that part, Georgie.” Fred joked before looking back to Lirum. “Trouble in paradise eh, did you argue over what mum said? Him sneaking off with his girlfriend?” Fred teased.
“I mean they did break up, I don’t think he has it in him to cheat.” George explained.
“It wouldn’t have been cheating either way he doesn’t like me like that,” Lirum said leaning back and facing the front of the car.
“Yeah right,” Fred laughed but slowly came to a stop when Lirum didn’t answer. “You’re joking right? You’re smart, you have to know.”
“Well he made it pretty clear this morning, in not so many words, that he’s too old for me and has no interest in me like that.” Fred looked fuming, sharing a look with George before looking back at Lirum again.
“Oh Bighead boys in trouble, he thought last year was bad.” Fred grumbled to himself. “That Pompous Prat has spent the past two years dragging you away at every opportunity, and he-oh and after…He had no idea how good he had it.”